Composition of matter



Patented May 23, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT C. FISCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T THE PHILIP CAREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO COMPOSITION or MATTER No Drawing. Application filed February 2, 1926, Serial No. 85,587. Renewed May 7, 1931.

My present invention relates in general to a composition material for use primarily as expansion-contraction joints for masonry construction, and especially road construction, and has particular reference to an improved filling and reenforcing medium which is incorporated with a compressible binding material to make up the finished product.

The composition of the material is such that it may be used for purposes other than expansion-contraction joint, and in this connection I would like to mention floor coverings, bridge flooring, crossing planks, insulating sheets and. other analogous uses. However, since the material is primarily in tended for expansion joint I will use this example in the following description.

Expansion-contraction joint material is usually produced in preformed strips, or else in what is known as poured joint. In the latter instance the space between the slabs or sections in a roadway, or similar construction, is filled by pouring the material after the same. has been prepared for this purpose.

lVhile my present invention is applicable to either a preformed oint or a poured oint I will ordinarily offer the same as a preformed product.

In reducing the invention to practice I first select a binding material suitable for the purpose, having the desired inherent qualities of a compressible mastic material, or a composition of matter having such qualities.

More specifically I would prefer to use bituminous matter, particularly blown asphalt, the same being prepared in a manner already well known to the art, except as to certain detailed steps, which will be hereinafter mentioned.

A compressible binder alone is not all together satisfactory as an expansion-contraction joint, but I can supply the qualities which are lacking by incorporating a filler with the binder. I have found that a filler should be selected for the desirable properties that it will add to the composition as well as overcome the unsatisfactory qualities of the binder. With this end in view I have found that a most satisfactory filler consisting of Tampico fiber, which is a stiff, harsh, but

pliant and bristle-like fiber, which is sometimes used as a substitute for animal bristles, as for instance in the making of cheap brushes.

In using this fibrous material the same may be considerably dried outrbetween the time it is harvested and mixed with the binder to produce the joints. Should it be found to be too dry after it has been stored for a while, it could be saturated with water, oil, or with any other substance to make it supple and pliable. This treatment may or may not be desirable, but if so, I wouldsuggest that a saturating solution be selected that would readily volatilize, so that when the material is mixed with theasphalt when the asphalt is in a heated state the liquid will volatilize so as to leave the cellular structure of the filling material unfilled. This would bedesirable so that advantage could be taken of the resilient and reinforcing qualities of the filler, which is one of the reasons that I use a filler, and is also a reasonwhy I have selected this kind of vegetable fibre. As a secondary step in saturating the filling-7 material I can mention the possibility of pressing a surplus of the saturating solution from the material prior to its incorporation'with the bindingmaterial. Also, care should be taken to use a saturant that will volatilize at a low temperature, since the asphalt will notbe very hot when the filling material is incorporated. The reason for this is that so long as I keep the asphalt in a plastic state it will not saturate the filler. Of course the asphalt will have to be warm enough so as to realize a thorough mixing of the filling material. j

The proportion of filling material used would Vary to a reasonable degree, for instance, I would never use more than fifty (50) per cent of the Tampico fiber by weight to fifty (50) per cent binder, and in most cases I would use as little as fifteen (15) per cent by weight of the Tampico fiber and eighty-five (85) per cent of the binder. I may also, if occasion demands, use a secondary filling medium in combination with the vegetable fiber referred to, such a's,'for' instance, ordinary excelsior, animal fibre, such *hasnot penetra-te'di the cellular structure of a the material, nor has it. filled the orifices in the mass. felted matted mass need not adhere one. to the 1 possible binder.

filled filler or matted mass it should be un-V as bristles, in fact various combinations, but in any event the idea is to use the plants referred to as the primary filling medium, so as to obtain distribution of a tangled mass of fibers or the like, throughout the compressible binder. .l/Vhen .I refer "to this tangled mass I make it clearer by stating that due to the long and pliant nature of the fiber they Will be interlocked with each other, Whiclr conditioir is brought: about still: more during the mixing step.

As a further feature I can also use this filling material in the form of*a"matted or felted. unfilled mass, that is to say, the materialinstead of being distributed throughout the binder could be felted or compressed into a imattedmass and enveloped in-a comlVhen I refer to an: un-

derstood to mean that? the binding-material The individual; pieces. in-- such a other, butshould it be desirable that they-do so' the mass could be treated with an adhesive,-such. as, sodium silicate. Regardless of l the form in-avhich the ifilling material is used the resultant DIOQlllCtJV-lll:itlWttyS include a binderwith a filler .of this material.

'From the above it twill readily beseen :that with the use ofrvery inexpensive material Iam able to producea most satisfactory expansion joint composition.

1 claim:

-1. A, preformed. expansion joint comprising a 3 plastic boardlike strip of bituminous material reenforcedbyia tangled mass of 1 relativelyalong, stifi', but; pliant,- -bristle-1ike vegetable fibers which ;are intermixed; and distributed tl-ierethrough.

7,2. Apreformed contractible and-expansir blev constructional material 1 comprising a 7 plastic board-like: strip .of, bituminous material reenforced by a tangled mass ofrelat-ive- 1y dong, stiff, but pliant, bristle-like vege- 4 table fibers which; are intermixed and distributed therethrough.

3. A preformed contractible-a-nd expansiwble constructional material 7 comprising a plastic board-like strip of; bituminous material reenforced bya tangled mass-- of relatively long, stiff, but pliant, bristle-like Veg table 'fibers Which are intermixed and dis- Z state.

tributed therethrough in a-n-unpenetrated tributed therethru in an unpenetrated stat-e.

A preformed contractible and'expansi- -ble constructional -materia1-v comprising a a smixture of about-,eightysfivef-per cent :by

mass of relatively long,v stiff, but pliant,

'Tampicofibers.

7. Constructional material comprising a body of bituminous composition having 'lTampico fibres incorporated. and distrlbuted therein torreenforce theibody into a cohesive mass.

-'8. A -prefOrmed expansion joint strip comprising a body of bituminous composition having 'Tampico fibres lIlCOIPOIZItBCl and d1s- 2 tributed therein to reenforce, the body' into a cohesive mass.

A preformed constructional material coi'nprismg a mixture of bitumlnousbinder anda tangled mass of'relativelyzlong, stiif, .but pliant,,Tampico ,fibers.

1 0. A preformed. constructional material comprisingua plastic board-like. strip ofbituminous material reenforced .byia tangled .mass of relatively long, stiff, l but pliant bristle-like fibers.

.11., A preformed contractibleand. expansivble construction material comprising a plastic board-like strip of bituminous material are intermi xed. and distributed therethrough. Signed at Washington,.D. C., this 1 day .ioflFebruary, .1926.

., ALBERT IC. EFISCHER. 

